Fluid-propelled airplane



FLUID PROPELLED AIRPLANE Filed Oct. 26, 1944 s Sheets-Sheet i Inventor@a /V/Kan Ms By izmaai fizm April 26, 1949.

Filed Oct. 26, 1944,

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FLUID PROPELLED AIRPLANE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 26, .1944

I )1 ventar l g/l/za/yas 24M M Patented Apr. 26, 1949 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE FLUID-PROPELLED AIRPLANE Ray W. Kangas, Eveleth, Minn.

Application October 26, 1944, Serial No. 560,411

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements inairplanes, and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner ashere inafter set forth, a flying machine of this character comprisingnovel propulsion and control means.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide an airplaneof the aforementioned character which embodies a unique construction andarrangement for cooling the engines.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an airplane of thecharacter described which will be comparatively simple in construction,durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, and which may bemanufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing, and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein likecharacters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an airplane constructed in accordancewith the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the machine with the wingsbroken away.

Figure 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the machine with the wingsbroken away, a portion of said machine being shown in horizontal sectionsubstantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5--5of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises afuselage which is designated generally by reference numeral I. Mountedin the front, central portion of the fuselage I and projecting forwardlytherefrom is a control room or cabin 2. Extending through the fuselage Iis an air conduit 3 comprising branches 4 which extend along the sidesof the control room or cabin 2 to the forward end of said fuselage. Theconduit 3 is open at its rear end and the branches 4 thereof are open attheir forward ends.

Longitudinal tunnels 5 are provided on the sides of the fuselage I.Rudders 6 are mounted on the forward end portions of the tunnels 5.Elevators I are mounted on the rear ends of the tunnels 5. Any suitablemeans may be employed for actuating the control surfaces 6 and 1 fromthe control room or cabin 2 of the p Wings 8 p jec laterally from thetunnels 5. Ailerons 9 are provided on the wings 8.

As illustrated to advantage in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing,longitudinal shafts II) are journaled. centrally in the forward portionsof the tunnels 5. Propellers I I are fixed on the forward end portionsof the shafts II] for operation in the tunnels 5 rearwardly of therudders 6. Engines I2 are mounted transversely in the branches 4 of theair conduits 3 in the path of streams of air flowing through saidbranches. The crankshafts I3 of the engines I2 project transversely intothe tunnels 5 and drive the propeller shafts III through suitable gearsI4 in cases I5 which are provided therefor in said tunnels. Stabilizingfins I6 are mounted longitudinally in the tunnels 5 rearwardly of thepropellers I I.

It is thought that the operation of the machine will be readily apparentfrom a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, the propellers II aredriven by the engines I2 for moving the machine forwardly, saidpropellers drawing air rapidly through the tunnels 5 by which it isconfined thereby materially increasing the effectiveness of saidpropellers. The horizontal flight of the machine is controlled throughthe medium of the rudders 6 in conjunction with the ailerons 9 while theelevators I control the vertical flight of said machine. Streams of airpassing rapidly through the branches 4 of the conduit 3 cool the enginesI 2.

It is believed that the many advantages of a flying machine constructedin accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, andalthough a preferred embodiment of said machine is as illustrated anddescribed, it is to be understood that changes in the details ofconstruction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may beresorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An airplane having a, wing, a fuselage, a cabin in the front, centralportion of the fuselage, an air conduit in the fuselage opening to therear of the cabin and having branches adjacent to and surrounding thesides of the cabin and opening at the front of the fuselage, a pair ofair tunnels, longitudinally disposed upon each side of the fuselage andrigidly mounted in the wing, an engine mounted transversely in eachbranch of the air conduit, a crank shaft extending transversely fromeach engine into the adjacent air tunnel, propellers mounted in thetunnels, means operatively connecting the crank shaft to the propellers,longitudinal, air baffle fins rigidly secured in the tunnels, saidtunnels and conduits comprising stabilizing means for the airplane andcontrol surfaces mount in front and rear end portions of the tunnels, inthe line of air flow therethrough.

2. An airplane having a Wing, a fuselage, a cabin in the front, centralportion of the fuselage, an air conduit in the fuselage opening to therear of the cabin and having branches adjacent to and surrounding thesides of the cabin and opening at the front of the fuselage, a, pair ofair tunnels, longitudinally disposed upon each side of the fuselage andrigidly mounted in the wing, an engine mounted transversely in eachbranch of the air conduit, a crankshaft extending transversely from eachengine into the adjacent air tunnel,

and propellers mounted in the tunnels and opera- 15 tively connected tosaid crankshaft.

RAY W. KANGAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,106,193 Deperdussin Aug. 4,1914 1,153,143 Walker Sept. 7, 1915 1,346,993 Thompson July 20, 1920 1,20,509 Anderson June 20, 1922 1,697,770 Kreikenbohm Jan. 1, 19292,118,052 Odor May 24, 1938

